Created in 2007, the ward elects four councillors using the single transferable vote electoral system and covers an area with a population of 14,220 people.

The ward was created following the Fourth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements ahead of the 2007 Scottish local elections.

As a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, local elections in Scotland would use the single transferable vote electoral system from 2007 onwards so Prestwick was formed from an amalgamation of several previous first-past-the-post wards.

The ward centres on the town of Prestwick which is situated on the Firth of Clyde coast in the northwest of the council area and includes the terminal buildings of Glasgow Prestwick Airport but only part of the runways.

[2] The ward's boundaries were unchanged following the Fifth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements ahead of the 2017 Scottish local elections.